Copper & Outlaw's Gotcha Day!
Yesterday was Copper & Outlaw’s ‘Gotcha Day’ – before they were named Copper and Outlaw and before I knew they were NOT both girls. If you read the quick Post from Dec 30, 2009 it’s funny because I mention their parents.
A sad and a strange update to that – their mother (Buttons) went missing a long time ago and she’s never been found. At least not by anyone on my Dad’s farm. Hopefully she was picked up by a nice family who’s taking good care of her. I’m not sure if she was microchipped or had a collar – it can be dangerous as it can get caught on anything out in the woods. The break-a-way collars break-away so…
It’s also terrible the shelter told my Dad she was spayed – she wasn’t.
The tomcat from another farm in the area kept coming around my Dad’s farm – lots of cats gravitate toward it because my Dad has a soft heart and feeds strays. (How can you not?) But this cat was NOT neutered and very interested in some of these strays so my Dad shooed him away for months. The tomcat managed to get Buttons pregnant.
The neighbor told my Dad the tomcat was real skittish but if he could catch him, the neighbor would pay to have him neutered. My Dad spent weeks and more patience than I was given in a lifetime trying to sweet talk this cat who he’d been yelling at for months.
My Dad caught him, and the cat was neutered.
So now, it’s a year after I adopted Copper and Outlaw from Buttons and the tomcat’s litter of five – and I find out my Dad is housing five cats of the original 19 strays – one of these cats is the tomcat!
I asked HOW he got him to come inside and my Dad said patience and the fact that it’s absolutely freezing outside. The first day he got the cat inside, the cat was terrified, looked around, ate and the minute my Dad opened the door, he bolted.
The second day, when my Dad opened his door, he ran in with the other cats like he was one of them. He’s still a bit skittish and while the other cats sleep on the bed, he curls up on the nightstand. He’s also wary but when he sees my Dad, he comes – sometimes even runs – up to him. It’s so obvious the cats pick up on my Dad’s gentle nature. (Seriously, is it any wonder I turned out to be a vegan?)
If you told us one year ago that Buttons (the mother) would go missing and the tomcat (I named him Kimble) was now one of the chosen – neither my Dad nor I would believe you.
It’s funny how life works.
One of these days, I’m going to get my hands on photos of Copper and Outlaw’s siblings. There’s Bandit, a gorgeous, long-haired calico. There’s Pumpkin, a sweet orange and white. There’s an all black cat no one named.
I’ll Post something about them soon – I asked my Dad to stay in touch with the no-kill shelter he had to give them to. There were just too many to support and my Dad can’t bear to see animal’s suffering, even if they’re outdoor cats.
Makes you wonder what update I’ll have in a year’s time…
A sad and a strange update to that – their mother (Buttons) went missing a long time ago and she’s never been found. At least not by anyone on my Dad’s farm. Hopefully she was picked up by a nice family who’s taking good care of her. I’m not sure if she was microchipped or had a collar – it can be dangerous as it can get caught on anything out in the woods. The break-a-way collars break-away so…
It’s also terrible the shelter told my Dad she was spayed – she wasn’t.
The tomcat from another farm in the area kept coming around my Dad’s farm – lots of cats gravitate toward it because my Dad has a soft heart and feeds strays. (How can you not?) But this cat was NOT neutered and very interested in some of these strays so my Dad shooed him away for months. The tomcat managed to get Buttons pregnant.
The neighbor told my Dad the tomcat was real skittish but if he could catch him, the neighbor would pay to have him neutered. My Dad spent weeks and more patience than I was given in a lifetime trying to sweet talk this cat who he’d been yelling at for months.
My Dad caught him, and the cat was neutered.
So now, it’s a year after I adopted Copper and Outlaw from Buttons and the tomcat’s litter of five – and I find out my Dad is housing five cats of the original 19 strays – one of these cats is the tomcat!
I asked HOW he got him to come inside and my Dad said patience and the fact that it’s absolutely freezing outside. The first day he got the cat inside, the cat was terrified, looked around, ate and the minute my Dad opened the door, he bolted.
The second day, when my Dad opened his door, he ran in with the other cats like he was one of them. He’s still a bit skittish and while the other cats sleep on the bed, he curls up on the nightstand. He’s also wary but when he sees my Dad, he comes – sometimes even runs – up to him. It’s so obvious the cats pick up on my Dad’s gentle nature. (Seriously, is it any wonder I turned out to be a vegan?)
If you told us one year ago that Buttons (the mother) would go missing and the tomcat (I named him Kimble) was now one of the chosen – neither my Dad nor I would believe you.
It’s funny how life works.
One of these days, I’m going to get my hands on photos of Copper and Outlaw’s siblings. There’s Bandit, a gorgeous, long-haired calico. There’s Pumpkin, a sweet orange and white. There’s an all black cat no one named.
I’ll Post something about them soon – I asked my Dad to stay in touch with the no-kill shelter he had to give them to. There were just too many to support and my Dad can’t bear to see animal’s suffering, even if they’re outdoor cats.
Makes you wonder what update I’ll have in a year’s time…